Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-02

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You would like to reduce your working hours in order to study part time.

Write a letter to your boss. In your letter

• explain why you want to reduce your working hours
• say which hours you would like to work
• describe how your part-time studies would benefit your employer

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ....................................,

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Dear John,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this to request for reducing my work hours. Currently, I am working 49 hours a week and would like them to be 24 hours a week.

I have been lacking in some marketing concpets which I realized while working. To overcome this issue, I have decided to go back to school. Recently, I have taken admission in marketing course to enhance my skills. I have decided to study with concentration, for this reason, it would be hard for me to manage full time work and studies.

Currently, I am working 40 hours a week and would like to work 24 hours a week from thursday to sunday, as I am having my classes on monday, tuesday and wednesday.

By getting the certification in marketing, I would learn some essential concepts of selling which will eventually help me to enhance my skills. These skills can be used in my current role and will equally beneficial for the company as well. I would be grateful, if you could reduce my working hours.

Looking forward to hear back from you soon. Thank you.

Yours Sincerely,

XYZ

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state the reason for the request (study), specify the desired hours (24 hours from Thursday to Sunday), and explain the benefit to the employer (applying marketing skills to the current role). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. However, there is a minor inconsistency in the text: you initially state you work 49 hours, then later mention 40 hours. Ensuring consistency in your details would improve the clarity of your request. Overall, the task is well-covered.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use basic cohesive devices like 'for this reason' and 'by getting the certification' to link your ideas. Paragraphing is used, though the structure could be slightly improved by separating the request details from the justification more distinctly. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the letter flows well from the initial request to the explanation of benefits.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'enhance my skills', 'certification', and 'essential concepts'. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'taken admission in' (should be 'enrolled in') and 'marketing concpets' (spelling error). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the more sophisticated or precise collocations that would push the score into the higher bands. The language is functional and appropriate for a professional context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'request for reducing' (should be 'request to reduce'), 'marketing concpets' (spelling), and 'Looking forward to hear' (should be 'hearing'). Additionally, there is a punctuation error in 'I would be grateful, if you could'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout the letter. Increasing your control over verb patterns and prepositions would improve your score.

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